We are exactly one month into eating from our freezers and pantry along with a grocery budget of $50 a week or $200 a month.  So far so good!  We currently have $117 in our grocery fund since we started this the last week of December.  I do have an Amazon order coming in this week which will push my grocery budget to $188 for the month! This week we are starting to pull items from all the freezers and it is noted that we will be out of several items like soy sauce and turkey for lunches in the next couple of weeks.  This week we tried to add some different items to the menu just to have a variety.  I don’t know how but we ended up with 2 “meatless meals” this week so hopefully everything will go as planned.

Breakfast– Saturday-Pancakes and sausage   Sunday- Freezer meals that were not eaten on our two camping trips.  Monday-Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday -choice of breakfast muffins, eggs, pop-tarts, sausage, oatmeal, cereal or grits, breakfast burritos, or omelets.  I will try to add in a baked oatmeal this week as well but that depends on how things are going.
Lunch- – Saturday- Oyster stew or chill Sunday- Christos with friends   Monday- Thursday Leftovers, and soup should work for most of the week.
Dinner- – Saturday- Coconut shrimp   Sunday- Taco Soup with half frozen for a later meal.  Monday- Eggroll in a bowl . Tuesday-Mexican rice and chips and salsa   Wednesday- Mini Quiche (we may add bacon just to add a little meat).  Thursday- Brats and French Fries. Friday- chicken broccoli rice casserole.

A week planned is a week we are likely to stay away from take-out!

This is the first real week that we are going to try eat from the freezers and pantry.  The grocery budget for this week is going to be spent on Lily’s party.

Breakfast– Saturday-left-overs.  Sunday-Biscuits   Monday, Tuesday, figure it out!  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday-choice of breakfast muffins, eggs, pop-tarts, sausage, oatmeal, cereal or grits, breakfast burritos, or omelets.
Lunch- – Saturday-Outback for the girls   Sunday- Cracker Barrel. Left-overs, pizza and soup should work for most of the week.
Dinner- – Saturday-Pizza Sunday- Left-overs. Monday- Cowboy beans Tuesday-soft tacos   Wednesday-Chicken nuggets and FF Thursday- Cube steak and mashed potatoes     Friday-Baked potato bar at Lily’s party.

Lily says the lighting in the Tahoe is amazing….

Things will look a little different this week because of Thanksgiving. I wish I could just plan to eat left-overs Thursday and Friday but this will not be happening around here. I will be taking the turkey to my brothers on Thursday but seriously doubt we have any left-overs from it. I actually have another turkey breast in the freezer that I might make if the mood is right. Haley and Amanda will both be over on Thursday night for our appetizers and most likely Friday morning for breakfast.  Lunch on Friday will be a find it. Dinner on Friday might be a homemade pizza or it may be left-overs depending on what the fridge looks like.

Breakfast– Saturday-Eggs and hash brown casserole (new recipe).  Sunday- Biscuit King   Monday, Tuesday, figure it out!  Wednesday- planning on a pumpkin baked oatmeal.  Thursday sausage and cream cheese crescent rolls, Friday-choice of breakfast muffins, eggs, pop-tarts, sausage, oatmeal, cereal or grits, breakfast burritos, or omelets.
Lunch-  Saturday–Left-overs including cheddar bacon fries.  Sunday-Greggs .  I have planned to take 2 bowls of soup for Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday- cheese quesadilla, Thursday- Thanksgiving, Friday left-overs or pizza
Dinner-  Saturday-left-overs   Sunday- Broccoli-Cheese soup.   Monday- Hamburgers and FF  Tuesday-Chicken and Dumplings in the crockpot.  Wednesday- Left-overs Thursday- Appetizers.     Friday-Good questions seriously!

Things should start to settle in this week. Matt is officially unemployed and we are in the space between sports and holidays.   With some extra time off last week, I feel like I am caught up. The idea is to eat at home and use up left-overs.  I am trying to decide how to use the left-overs better. I usually do not plan for lunches or dinners on the weekends but since I have some spare time I like cooking  so I might try a left-over evening a week?  Any suggestions?

Breakfast– Saturday-Eggs, bacon and toast. Sunday- Apple cinnamon baked oatmeal   Monday- Banana muffins, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday-choice of breakfast muffins, eggs, pop-tarts, sausage, oatmeal, cereal or grits, breakfast burritos, or omelets.  We have managed to use up all the eggs so back to more traditional and quicker breakfast.
Lunch-  Saturday–Left-overs  Sunday-Christo’s . I am taking several days of left-over turkey and fixing this week as well as a day of Chinese left-overs.  If I have a plan I don’t end up eating out as much.
Dinner-  Saturday-Chill cookoff and McDonalds for the non-chili eaters.     Sunday- Turkey, mashed potato, gravy, stuffing, squash casserole and rolls.  Monday- Beef and broccoli and rice  Tuesday-Soft Taco.  Wednesday- Impossible Cheeseburger Pie Thursday- Rice Creola     Friday-Chicken and dumplings